Dear Alber Elbaz,

Dear sweet Alber Elbaz,

I will meet you in Paris at midnight.  I will be in a Peugot Type 176 car and I will be wearing this:

We will meet up with Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald and, of course, have a few drinks before Fitzgerald takes us to meet Hemingway - and we will, of course, have more drinks... and I will wear this:

We will return home, giddy with excitement and disbelief.  Alber, the next evening we will meet again at midnight.  And I will wear this:

and we will meet for a late dinner with Alice B. Toklas and Gertrude Stein.  Gertrude, will ask me about my dress and I will tell her you made it for me and she will immediately insist, you make her a dress but not to mention this to Pierre Balmain.

And when we leave Alice and Gertrude, a horse drawn carriage will be waiting outside their door to take us to Maxim Paris where we will meet with Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Gaugin and Edgar Degas.  They will argue who gets to paint my portrait (well, you know, this is my fantasy after all : ) and I will be wearing this:

And in the morning when we return to work, I will wear this:

and will remember our incredible nights together.  Thank you for the memories Alber!

love, kisses and vintage,  Juliana

*Letter to Alber Elbaz inspired by Woody Allen's film 'Midnight in Paris' and the too lovely for mere words Lanvin Pre-Fall 2014 collection.

Alber Elbaz and Geoffrey Beene

...working also for all these years with Geoffrey Beene and working with Yves Saint Laurent, I had two of the best designers of the twentieth century that were my teachers, my mentors. And what I learned from both of them is that it’s not just about being cool, it’s about coming to work day after day. You come in the morning and you stay late at night and you come weekends and you work. You just come to work. It’s a job. It’s a major job to help men and women look beautiful. - Alber Elbaz

Geoffrey Beene hired Alber Elbaz as an assistant designer and he worked for him for seven years.  I was told by the owner of this dress that it was a collaboration between Mr. Beene and Alber Elbaz.  There are layers of silver lace and tulle sleeves.  The back is light and open.  

Silver lace Geoffrey Beene

PURCHASE

INQUIRY

The Glam and the Glamorous from New York

New York Spring 2008 Fashion Week has begun. We started last night at Tom Ford's very elegant and refined men's store on Madison Avenue for a book party honoring Marilyn Minter's new monograph. We love how thorough Tom Ford is: the traffic cones outside the store were painted white (but, of course, no vulgar orange neon cones here!) and all of the waiters had slicked side parted hair - very 1930's slightly sinister movie actor.

Today we were at FIT's Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion honoring Alber Elbaz. We have long admired Mr. Elbaz's talents from the time he started at Guy Laroche, went on to YSL and now at Lanvin. He gave a very beautiful, thoughtful, funny and extremely kind speech. What he said about women, aging and the pursuit of perfection should be published in every magazine. I think everyone there wanted to give him a hug!

And can we just say how beautiful Demi Moore is in person?

Now down to what Fashion week is really all about: the fashion!


RARE vintage has two beautiful gowns from two New York designers.

The glam is a 1975 Norma Kamali jersey dress in dusty rose. The label is Kamali New York and predates her OMO Norma Kamali line. This is when she had a store on Madison Avenue. It is a very sexy one shoulder body revealing gown. The train can be worn down or there is a loop for your finger in case you want to dance like you were at Studio 54! Size 4. SOLD




The glamorous is a Scaasi Boutique from the 1980s. It is a strapless silk gown with voided velvet flowers that drapes very seductively around the body ending in a stiff tulle underskirt. But best of all are the enormous black silk bows running down the back. Size 4/6.


For more information about this item please email info@rarevintageinc.com or call (212) 581 7273